


The Dressmaker

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Divergence - Post-Thor (2011), F/M, Gen, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, The Author Doesn't Really Know What She's Doing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-21 09:25:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10682451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: How far would you go to defend what's yours?For some; as far as it takes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is for a friend who asked for a slightly different take on the Soulmate AU trope. I was going to wait to start posting when I was about halfway done writing it, but I'm not good at sticking to my own plans. Chapters will be posted weekly on Thursdays for the sake of my sanity.

    On the very day she turned twenty, Mira Valene was awoken in her dorm room by a strange sensation on her right arm; it felt as though something was scratching at it, but didn’t quite hurt. She struggled to untangle herself from the sheets and reached blindly to her nightstand for her glasses, knocking several things down in the process that she cursed quietly at, hoping the sound wouldn’t wake her roommate.

 

    A pointless hope, as Darcy Lewis woke across the room with a start and immediately reached for the bat she kept propped by the headboard, holding it with a surprisingly strong grip for someone still half asleep. Mira turned her lamp on, gaining the brunette’s attention, and smiled sheepishly as she held her glasses aloft.

 

    Darcy let out a groan and fell back onto her bed. “We really need to work on our organisational skills,” She grumbled.

 

    “Sorry,” Mira half whispered, brushing the white patch of her otherwise dark red hair (oh, how often she got asked where she got her hair done, only to have to explain over and over that it was a birthmark) out of her freckle-spattered face and putting her glasses on.

 

    “Eh, whatever; sleep’s overrated anyway,” Darcy dismissed, sitting up and returning the bat to its designated place before turning to her, her eyes widening slightly. “What’s important is what the hell is wrong with your arm??”

 

    Mira finally looked down at what had awoken her to find a series of black lines on her forearm, like a tattoo that she didn’t remember getting. She might have blamed it on Darcy taking her out for ten too many drinks, but they hadn’t done that all month. “I have no idea,” She said slowly.

 

    Darcy put her glasses on before getting out of her bed and walked over to Mira’s, plopping down practically on top of her, grabbed her arm and pulled it over to her for a closer look. “Looks like some kind of writing?” She guessed after a moment’s examination then her eyes widened in realisation and she looked up at her still-confused roommate. “Holy shit! I know what this is!”

 

    “Great; that makes one of us,” Mira replied bemusedly.

 

    “It’s a Soulmark!” Darcy said excitedly, her previous grogginess utterly gone, “You have a soulmate!”

 

    Mira looked down at her forearm. “Huh. Imagine that.”

 

    “Shit; I’ve never met one of you. That is so cool,” Darcy gushed.

 

    “Well, that’s great and all, but, um... what the hell does this say?” Mira asked, tilting her head slightly as though that would help her decipher her mark.

 

    Darcy deflated slightly. “No idea,” She replied, turning back to the mark, “It’s definitely not Chinese.” She thought for a moment then looked back at Mira. “Maybe we could ask Mr. Ashcroft? He knows languages.”

 

    “I guess?” Mira replied with a shrug.

 

    “Great!” Darcy said cheerfully, the mystery acting as the coffee she usually required for such a mood, then got up and pulled Mira with her, heading for their door.

 

    “Wait, no; I didn’t mean _now!”_ Mira cried, pulling on her arm to stop her friend, “Darcy; it’s, like, three in the morning!”

 

    “So? This is important!” Darcy replied incredulously, “You could run into your soulmate tomorrow on the street! You need to know this!”

 

    Mira gave her a look. “Darce; unless they have their mark written across their forehead, how would I know it’s them?” She asked sceptically.

 

    Darcy returned her look in equal measure. “You have a name that just _appeared_ on your arm overnight, but somehow knowing who it leads to just by seeing them is too farfetched?”

 

    “Be that as it may; I am not bothering one of the few likable teachers this side of campus at three in the morning in my pyjamas,” Mira stated firmly.

 

    “Ugh, fine! We’ll get dressed, then,” Darcy relented, letting go of Mira’s arm and stalking over to her closet.

 

    Mira rolled her eyes and went over to hers, pulling out one of her numerous ankle-length maxi dresses and changing into it. Once Darcy was in her jeans and a t-shirt, they put on their shoes and left the room. The entire way, Mira had to keep her friend from making too much noise and waking everybody else up.

 

    They didn’t need _another_ complaint.

 

    Professor Ashcroft, a middle-aged English man of slightly greying black hair and dark eyes that always lit up with excitement during his lectures, was surprisingly good natured about being woken up in the small hours of the morning by two random students that didn’t even take his class, and even about one such student blurting out ‘We need you to translate something’ by way of greeting. Mira apologised for her friend profusely as he let them in, silently vowing to murder her when this was over, but he waved her off.

 

    “Now,” Mr. Ashcroft began as he set cups of tea before the young women, “What is so important as to have you both awake at this hour?”

 

    “Well, my friend here has a very important thing that we can’t make sense of, and we figured you could help,” Darcy replied, taking a big gulp of the hot tea that made Mira wince sympathetically for her oesophagus, before turning to her roommate. “Show ’im the thing!”

 

    “The thing? Really?” Mira questioned before turning to Ashcroft and holding out her forearm to him.

 

    “Oh, my; I haven’t seen one of these in years,” Ashcroft said in amazement, gingerly taking hold of Mira’s arm and leaning a bit closer.

 

    “We were hoping you could translate it?” Mira asked.

 

    “Ah, yes, of course,” Ashcroft said then reached for one of the notepads and pens littered throughout the room. “Those are runes. Elder Futhark, Norse, and they read...” He wrote the runes down on the paper then the letter they corresponded to below before turning the pad over and looking back up at them, “Loki.”

 

    “So... my soulmate is... Scandinavian?” Mira said confusedly.

 

    “I suppose,” Ashcroft replied with a slight shrug.

 

    “But aren’t these things supposed to be written in the other person’s language?” Mira asked, looking back down at her mark, “Who still uses these to write regularly?”

 

    “History nerd?” Darcy guessed. “Or maybe they’re just weird.”

 

    “Gee, thanks,” Mira said sarcastically, glaring at the brunette.

 

    “Come on, anyone fated to be stuck with _you_ is bound to be weird; how else would they survive?” Darcy defended.

 

    Ashcroft chuckled then turned to Mira. “I wouldn’t worry too much over it. With the amount of people there are in the world today; chances are you’ll never meet them,” He said, “You shouldn’t let that stop you from living your life. If you meet them, wonderful, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t; not everyone does, and they can still be happy.”

 

    Mira nodded in understanding. The pair then thanked him for the help and left. On the way to their dorm room Mira occasionally brought her forearm up and traced the name, wondering who it belonged to. Now that the initial confusion was gone, she was tentatively excited; as Mr. Ashcroft said, she may never meet her soulmate, but she found herself hoping that she would someday.

 

    _Loki._


	2. Chapter 2

    There was an odd sensation on Loki’s chest; it pulled him up and out of his alcohol and exhaustion driven sleep, which was mildly annoying to say the least. At first he thought it might be the bed-mate he’d met during the celebrations, and he frowned slightly. He should have left by now; if the light searing into Loki’s closed lids was any indication, it was well into the morning. He brushed a hand out but found nothing but air, causing his brows to furrow and him to finally open his eyes.

 

    He was alone in the room as expected, but the sensation on his skin had not abated. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he looked down at himself and noticed something that most certainly was not there the previous night. He got up and made his way over to the nearest mirror; there, on the spot just below where his heart was, were what he figured were letters, though his still half-asleep mind didn’t recognise the alphabet. He traced his fingers over the lines, wondering what they could mean.

 

    As he debated whether to ask his mother’s opinion or go to the library and look for the answer himself, the doors burst open and in walked his brother, causing him to roll his eyes. “Are you ever going to learn how to knock, Thor? What if I hadn’t been alone?” He asked pointedly.

 

    “I imagine that would be awkward, but it has yet to happen,” Thor replied easily. He went to say something else, likely what had brought him there, but noticed the very thing that woke his brother up and frowned a bit. “What is that?”

 

    Loki looked back down at the letters. “I have no idea,” He replied, “It was there when I woke up.”

 

    Thor walked over to him and leaned closer to examine the mark. “A spell?” He guessed, looking up at Loki’s face.

 

    “Of a sort, most likely,” Loki replied, tracing the letters with a finger, “I’m not sure how it got there, though; I would have woken if someone had placed it there, I should think.”

 

    “Perhaps mother will know?” Thor suggested, “We should ask her.”

 

    Loki snorted quietly, not at all surprised it had escaped his brother’s notice. “I rather think I should get dressed first; don’t you?”

 

    Thor seemed to notice his brother’s state of undress for the first time and let out a laugh. “Yes; that might be best.”

 

    Once that had been accomplished, the brothers went forth in search for the queen. Chances were that Frigga would have an explanation, or at least could point them in right direction for it. Loki spared a moment to be amused at the fact that, even after all their years, they still turned to her first for answers; many were the moments when the queen had to withstand their seemingly endless barrage of questions, especially from him.

 

    It took some time to find the queen, given that they got turned around a few times as no one seemed to know exactly where she was and then had to stop for food once their hunger got the better of their curiosity, but find her they did. She was in her drawing room of all places, the one place they had not thought to look; though the smile on her face as she greeted them gave Loki the impression the oversight had been outwardly directed, and he wondered just what she’d been up to.

 

    “Shouldn’t you both be out hunting by now?” Frigga asked her sons.

 

    So _that’s_ what Thor had wanted.

 

    “There is something wrong with Loki’s skin,” Thor replied, voice equal parts curiosity and concern, and Loki couldn’t help an amused scoff.

 

    “Why do you immediately assume it’s something wrong?” He asked.

 

    “Well, you don’t know what it is,” Thor replied.

 

    “And that makes it wrong?” Loki retorted, “You’re really not very creative are you, brother?”

 

    “Why don’t you show me what it is, that we might find out?” Frigga interjected before Thor could respond.

 

    She often wondered how her sons managed to cause all the trouble they had in their lives when they spent half their time bickering. Part of her also wished whatever it was Loki had to show her wasn’t what she feared; it was entirely too early to have to try and explain _that_ to them, even if she had wanted to for such a long time. She also would prefer to have her husband there when the moment came, given the brunt of the responsibility was his.

 

    Loki had elected to forgo his usual wardrobe for an easily removable tunic precisely for that moment, and pulled the garment over his shoulders to show his mother the mark. The breath that left the queen’s lips as she saw the letters on his chest sounded a little too relieved to him and he narrowed his eyes at her a bit, wondering just what she had been expecting instead.

 

    Frigga moved closer and reached up to trace a finger just below the letters. “Well, there is something I haven’t seen for some time.”

 

    “What is it?” The brothers both asked at nearly the same time, causing the queen to smile.

 

    “It’s a Soulmark,” Frigga replied.

 

    “A Soulmark? But it makes no sense!” Thor said confusedly.

 

    “It’s in another language, idiot,” Loki replied exasperatedly with a roll of his eyes.

 

    His mother shot him a warning look then turned to Thor. “A Soulmark reflects the language of the one it leads to,” She explained. “So whoever it is, they are clearly not aesir, vanir,” She examined the mark again, “Or alfar.”

 

    “That doesn’t leave a great many options,” Thor commented.

 

    “That might work to my advantage; less places to look,” Loki reasoned, even as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that there was someone in the realms that he was fated to be with.

 

    He wasn’t sure yet whether to be reassured that he was not meant to spend his life alone, or annoyed that the choice of who to be with was seemingly made for him. He disliked not having a choice in matters, especially with regards his own life.

 

    “That still leaves the problem of actually _reading_ it,” Thor pointed out.

 

    Loki frowned then looked down at the mark. “I swear I’ve seen these letters before,” He muttered. He thought about it for a moment then realisation coloured his features.

 

    “What?” Thor asked.

 

    “It’s midgardian writing,” Loki replied, looking up, “I knew I recognised it.”

 

    “Well, then? What does it say?” Thor demanded excitedly.

 

    Loki looked back at the mark for a moment, having to decipher the letters upside down and backwards. “Mira,” He finally said, looking back up, “It says Mira.” His brows furrowed after a moment. “My soulmate is midgardian. How would that even work? They’re so short lived.”

 

    “There are ways around that,” Frigga said with a slight shrug, “What is important is finding them; Midgard is hardly a sparsely populated realm, after all.”

 

    Loki shook his head. “It can wait; I’m not sure I even _want_ a soulmate.”

 

    “Then you need a distraction!” Thor declared.

 

    “You mean _you_ need a distraction,” Loki scoffed.

 

    Nevertheless he followed after his brother as always. As they hunted, he occasionally thought to the mark, and the person it might lead to. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, meeting them at least. He could always just leave if they weren’t to his liking. The name sprung to his mind more than once, regardless, which only increased his wondering.

 

    _Mira._


	3. Chapter 3

    Mira had decided early on that she wouldn’t actively seek out her soulmate until she finished getting her degree; she had enough stress with her classes and whatnot, she wasn’t looking to add to it. She did make a casual effort, though, in the form of always keeping the mark visible when she chose her wardrobe for the day.

 

    She made the mistake once of explaining what the mark was to a classmate who’d asked about her new ‘tattoo’, and promptly discovered that he was a bit of a romantic when he resolved to help her find who the name led to. He’d quickly gotten the word out and she’d unwittingly become something of a celebrity around campus for quite some time, until the novelty had finally worn off. She’d had to practically threaten her classmate to let it be, though, and he did so only reluctantly after seeing the trouble it caused her.

 

    Before everyone forgot about her and her mark, she did have to deal with people looking to take advantage or torment her by faking her name on their skin, but that’s what Darcy was for; it didn’t take long for word to spread of how surprisingly violent the small brunette could become to those who messed with her friend.

 

    Before she knew it, five years had passed mostly uneventfully. Darcy had changed her mind about what she wanted out of life four years back and had moved universities to study political science, though they still kept in touch; she’d recently told her about an internship she had applied to on a whim. Mira had graduated and with some help from her parents, whom she hadn’t told about her mark, she opened her business as planned.

 

    She awoke one night with a start to an almost burning sensation on her right arm, as though it were resting under a block of ice, but when she turned the light on and looked the sensation had faded and her arm looked perfectly fine. She ran her fingers over her mark and suddenly felt extremely distressed, causing her to pull her fingers back immediately with a gasp. Reluctantly, she touched the mark again, and was flooded with confusion and then a sort of... longing.

 

    Mira pulled her fingers away, the confusion she felt now her own. What had _that_ been about? Nothing of what she’d researched about Soulmarks mentioned anything like that; granted information was rather limited given such things were not exactly regular occurrences. There was also a chance whatever she had experienced was not documented. Shaking her head, she elected to think on it after she’d had more sleep and lied back down, drifting off after a while.

 

    There were no other incidents for a few days after that. She’d been sitting in the back of her shop taking a break that was really her occasionally eating her lunch while she sketched a few new dress ideas. It had been a nagging sort of tingling sensation that time, and she had absentmindedly rubbed at the mark only to have an intense feeling of despair the likes of which she’d never felt before flood her. She pulled back immediately and the feeling faded.

 

    Mira stared at the mark intently for a moment before deciding to try something; she traced the runes one by one slowly, almost soothingly, and was rewarded with the same confusion and longing she had felt the first time it had disturbed her. She repeated the action a few times and felt the despair abate quite a bit to be replaced by understanding followed by something that felt very much like gratitude. When she finally pulled her hand back, the tingling from the mark was gone, leaving her strangely relieved even in her confusion.

 

 

******

 

 

    Loki had had every intention of letting go. What was there left for him? His life, or at least the lie he’d called such, had fallen apart; unravelling faster than he could fix in the face of truth and betrayal. Nothing made sense anymore, and he wasn’t sure he wanted it to.

 

    _Those plans no longer matter,_ his fath- no, _Odin_ had said. His one purpose, the only thing he’d been spared for, his _use_ no longer mattered. _He_ no longer mattered. He could see it in the Allfather’s face, when he denied him yet again; the disappointment, the regret, the shame. There it was, the moment when he regretted ever having brought the monster home.

 

    Thor had seen the moment Loki decided to let go. It was plainly written on his face; the shock, soon followed by terror. Loki found he didn’t care as much as he thought he would. He felt his hand begin to slip from the end of the staff he held.

 

    And then he felt it.

 

    That same feeling he’d felt what seemed a lifetime ago on Jötunheim after that jötunn had gripped his arm. That odd sensation on his chest, just below his heart, where the mark he tried not to think about was written. He felt a warmth and the confusion that was not his own intermingle with everything he _was_ feeling. And just like then, he found he wanted the warmth to stay. Just a little bit longer. It was all he had right now, and he didn’t want to lose it.

 

    The warmth disappeared for a moment but soon returned and stayed longer this time, the confusion turned to curiosity. Then Loki felt a sensation he’d almost forgotten: comfort. He almost felt as though someone were holding him close. That was when he finally understood what was happening.

 

    His soulmate.

 

    They were reaching out to him. More than that, they were trying to soothe him. And surprisingly, it was working.

 

    Loki was hardly aware of the moment his hand tightened its grip on Gungnir once more. It was hardly a conscious thought, the decision to stay, just a little longer. He had to find them, meet them at least, this person who knew nothing of him and still, _still,_ reached out to help when he needed it most. He looked back up at Thor and his brother seemed to understand and began to pull him up.

 

    When they were back on solid ground Thor held onto him as though he’d almost lost something precious - _Ha_ \- but Loki hardly felt it. His mind was already working on how to leave Asgard from whatever punishment Odin decided for him.

 

    He had someone to find.

 

    And nothing was going to stop him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse the delay; I don't know why but I thought it was Wednesday today. XD

    The mark hadn’t bothered her again, not for months, and Mira wasn’t sure what to make of the disappointment she had felt at that. Surely it was a good thing, wasn’t it? Nothing should be better than the fear and pain she’d felt from it those times, shouldn’t it?

 

    Instead she had found herself worrying about the person on the other end of the bond, followed by a strange feeling of loneliness. She hadn’t let herself think much about what the mark meant over the years since it had appeared; with every passing day that she didn’t meet her soulmate she felt more and more like she never would, as Mr. Ashcroft warned she might not. And as he had suggested, she hadn’t let that stop her from living.

 

    Still, it was there, in the back of her thoughts; the what-ifs, the longing, the need to find her other half. She hadn’t recognized it for what it was at first. It wasn’t until that night the mark had woken her up and she’d felt the very same thing from the other end that she realised she wanted to find them. But even knowing, she couldn’t very well just pack up and travel the world to look for someone she probably wouldn’t recognise at first glance.

 

    As she always did, as she had learned to do, Mira pushed it all aside and got on with her day. Wondering about what the future might or might not bring for her love life wouldn’t help her now; she had work to do and people to make as happy as she could. The irony that most of her business came from future brides was not lost on her, but she never was prone to bitterness or jealousy. She prided herself on the smiles of her customers and delighted in the photos they sent her of their weddings or other events.

 

    She had been sipping on a milkshake and doodling on her sketchpad on the counter of her shop when she heard the bell on the door ring to signal a new arrival, but she was too caught up on the page in front of her to register that that was what it was until she heard a throat softly cleared in front her, startling her into looking up with a slight squeak.

 

    Before her stood a very tall pale man with black hair that brushed his shoulders, wearing a suit that she stared at for probably too long (in her defence, it was very well made and fit him perfectly, and she might have been just a tad bit envious, but that was perfectly reasonable as far as she was concerned). She forced her eyes up to his face to be met with a faintly amused expression and she cleared her throat awkwardly, a slight blush of embarrassment tinting her freckled cheeks as she adjusted her glasses.

 

    “Sorry; working on a wedding and a funeral,” Mira explained. That got her an odd look and she blinked. “Not for the same people,” She clarified, earning an ‘ah’ of understanding. “Welcome to ‘Valene Vie’; what can I do for you?” She greeted with a smile.

 

    “I’m not certain,” The man replied, sounding somewhat apologetic, “I’m not entirely sure why I came in here.”

 

    Mira’s smile faded somewhat in bewilderment and she was about to reply when the door’s bell rang again and a woman came in looking somewhat preoccupied, walking up to the counter completely ignoring the man.

 

    “Is my dress ready yet?” The woman asked briskly in lieu of a greeting, placing the order ticket Mira gave out on the counter.

 

    Mira picked up the ticket and glanced at it then back up at the woman, none too pleased by her rudeness but hiding it expertly. “Just about; I’d just like to do one more fitting to be absolutely sure and then it’s yours,” She replied politely, leading the woman to the fitting room. At the door, she turned to the man. “You can just take a seat if you’d like; this won’t take more than a few minutes.”

 

    The fitting went by quickly as she was eager to have the woman out of her shop, and soon she was putting the dress - one of her cocktail dresses that seemed quite popular with the kind of customer she’d be happy to never see again - into a garment bag and ringing it up. Once the customer was out the door, Mira turned to the man sitting in the waiting area looking through one of the portfolios she had around, green eyes scanning the page interestedly, and walked up to him.

 

    “So, have you figured out what you want yet?” She asked amiably.

 

    The man looked up and opened his mouth to reply, but the words seemed to die in his throat as his gaze was drawn to something that made his eyes widen in shock.

 

 

******

 

 

    It had taken Loki months, effort and more than a little help to escape Asgard and come to Midgard. He hadn’t expected Thor to help him after he learned of his true origins, but he’d simply said that they were still brothers and that he owed Loki the chance to at least find the one who’d saved his life when he’d failed.

 

    Once in the realm of mortals, he found he didn’t even know where to begin looking so he’d simply wandered and hoped that their bond would guide him to his other half. And indeed when he stopped thinking about it, he felt drawn to certain places, but he always seemed to be too late when he arrived. After three weeks of the same he began to lose hope and become frustrated; it was only the longing and the reality that he didn’t exactly have much to return to that kept him going most times.

 

    He hadn’t even intended to walk into the modest little shop as he walked by it. Why would he have any interest in a dressmaker? But the nagging feeling to walk through the door wouldn’t leave him be, so with a resigned sigh he followed the impulse.

 

    The young woman at the counter was likable and certainly attractive, but he’d long since learned not to get his hopes up so he wouldn’t. That was, at least, until she’d returned from dealing with her customer and he’d seen her right arm, the sleeves of her shirt having been rolled up as she worked, and he saw his name written on her forearm.

 

    “Um, sir? Are you okay?” She called worriedly, bringing his attention to the fact that he’d been staring.

 

    “You... It’s you,” Loki heard himself say and mentally kicked himself; a mastery over language and _that_ was the best he could come up with?

 

    “... Right. It’s me,” She said confusedly, “What’s me?”

 

    Loki shook his head and stood. “I’m going to pre-emptively say that this is not what it will probably look like,” He said before reaching up to undo his tie and began to unbutton his shirt.

 

    He had to give her credit; her only reaction to that was a raised eyebrow. Then it occurred to him: Seamstress. Regardless of the fact that she mostly made dresses; she’d probably seen quite a few people undress before, enough to not be ruffled by it. Her indifference turned to shock, however, when he pulled his shirt open to reveal his Soulmark.

 

    “Oh,” She managed after a while.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay; the chapter was already written but I spent the week at my cousin's and my dumb ass forgot to at least save it as a draft here so I could post it from my phone later.
> 
> Next week's chapter will be late, if I don't miss it altogether; I'm going to be setting up my table at the local con for the next day and I have to be there very early. Apologies in advance.

    Mira decided to close the shop early since she didn’t have any more appointments for the day and led Loki to her favourite café across the street; the owner was very fond of her after she’d made her daughter’s prom dress at an extremely low price to accommodate her then money troubles, and always saved her the best pastries.

 

    They stared at each other for a while, neither quite sure what to say, and Mira let out a laugh. “This is a lot more awkward than I thought it would be.”

 

    Loki laughed as well. “It’s not very often I find myself at a loss for words, as anyone who knows me can tell you,” He joked. His eyes strayed to Mira’s forearm and her mark. “You saved my life,” He said softly, looking back up at her grey eyes, “I need you to know that.”

 

    Mira blinked then looked down at her mark and traced it lightly with her fingertips. “That day...” She whispered as she thought back, realising what he was referring to. “I’d never felt so lost and hurt in my life. Though technically I guess I never did; that was you.”

 

    Loki reached a hand to her without thinking, his fingers on her wrist on their way to her mark before he was aware of it. When he realised what he was doing, he pulled his hand back quickly. “Sorry,” He muttered.

 

    Mira reached out and took his hand in her own, looking up at him. “That’s okay,” She assured with a smile.

 

    Loki smiled slightly in return. “I’ll confess I have no idea what happens now,” He said, “I had to meet you, not doing so was never an option, but that’s about as far as I planned. I don’t know what comes next.”

 

    “Pie is usually a good option,” Mira replied with a slight shrug. “I won’t claim to be an expert in this; until my mark appeared, I’d only vaguely heard about Soulmarks and soulmates,” She added, looking down at their hands for a moment then back up at his eyes, “I say we treat this like any other relationship and start slow.”

 

    Loki nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose that’s as good a plan as any.”

 

    “So, putting aside the serious conversation for later; all we really know about each other is our names,” Mira continued, pulling her hand back and placing them both on her lap as she sat up straight, “Why don’t we start with the basics? Like where you’re from. And your favourite foods. And why the hell your name is written in letters that haven’t been in use for several centuries.”

 

    Loki let out a breath. “This conversation is going to turn more complicated than you might be ready for...”

 

 

******

 

 

    Mira tried to keep an open mind. She really did. That didn’t stop the first thought to pop into her head as Loki finished his story from being, ‘Oh, god; my soulmate’s delusional’, however. From the look on Loki’s face; her expression showed it, too.

 

    “You don’t believe me,” He said flatly.

 

    She flashed him an apologetic smile. “It’s kind of a lot, you know?”

 

    “We have had each other’s names appear marked on our skin inexplicably, we projected our feelings to each other twice, but you can’t accept the reality of other realms beyond your own?” Loki countered, looking rather disappointed.

 

    “Well, when you put it like _that,”_ Mira replied a bit more snarkily than she intended.

 

    Loki’s lips twitched upwards despite himself. “I suppose I could try to be more patient,” He conceded, “Soulmates, rare as they are, are still a universal phenomenon; Midgard has been deliberately kept in the dark about many things since your people forgot about the rest of Yggdrasil.”

 

    “... Right. Yeah; I’d appreciate a little time to wrap my head around the whole thing.”

 

    “In any case, it hardly matters; that isn’t my life anymore,” He dismissed with a trace of bitterness before forcing a smile onto his face, “I’d like to know of _your_ life.”

 

    She took a breath and let it out in a puff. “Well; I’m an only child, but don’t tell my best friend that, she’ll probably cut you,” She said with a slight laugh, earning one in return. “My parents are pretty well off, so I had a comfortable childhood, finance-wise; they can be a bit overbearing, though, especially my dad. If he had his way; I’d still be living at home until I met some nice young man who’ll take care of me to marry and never work or struggle for anything ever.”

 

    “That sounds mind-numbingly boring,” He said bluntly.

 

    “Exactly; thank you!” She replied, throwing her hands up. “He means well, though, I guess. It’s not really his fault that his idea of a good life for me and mine clash so horribly,” She added with a shrug. “They were pretty upset when I chose to go to college halfway across the country; I had to promise to call everyday just so they’d stop worrying. Of course; eventually ‘everyday’ became ‘every other day’ and then ‘maybe twice a week’, but I managed to blame it on a busy class schedule. I love them like crazy, but damn.”

 

    “I suppose I can see how it could become a bit much, to have them hovering,” Loki reasoned. “My mo-” He stopped himself abruptly, his jaw clenching slightly, “ _Frigga_... used to do it quite a bit when Thor and I were children. Can’t imagine it gets less stifling the older you get.”

 

    Mira considered saying something, but couldn’t think of what. She didn’t notice she’d started picking at her mark until his expression twitched a bit and he reached out a hand to stop hers.

 

    “Please don’t do that,” He requested in a slightly tight voice.

 

    “Sorry.” A somewhat awkward silence followed until she cleared her throat. “Anyway, uh, where was I? Right; college! I met my best friend, Darcy, early on, before she transferred schools to study something else. We still talk or email each other every other day, though. Got my degree in fashion design and then I opened my shop. My parents basically blackmailed me into letting them help finance it, but the rest of the work was all me and I am probably _absurdly_ proud of that.”

 

    Loki chuckled. “There’s nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments. I’ve seen your work; you _should_ be proud.” That earned him a happy grin. “What about lovers?” He asked curiously.

 

    Mira snorted amusedly. “Like I’ve had time for that; I’m always working. I’ve tried dating once or twice, but it never really worked out. I don’t know; I guess part of me didn’t want to risk getting invested in someone who wasn’t my soulmate, because then what if I _did_ meet them and it actually worked out the way it’s supposed to?”

 

    Loki decided it was probably best not to mention his initial doubts about ever wanting to find her at all.

 

    “What about you?” She asked back. The sudden ‘deer in headlights’ look on his face told her everything she needed to know. “O _kay;_ forget I asked.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *tosses chapter* Here ya go see you next week assuming I survive the weekend!! *runs off*

    “In my defence; I’ve lived for over a thousand years, and the mark has existed for less than a decade,” Loki suddenly said on the way back to her shop in the evening after they’d had dinner.

 

    “Seriously, Loki; it’s fine. It doesn’t matter,” Mira replied with a laugh.

 

    He did not look very convinced but said nothing more. She found it equal parts amusing and endearing that he was even worried about that, and lightly brushed her fingers over her mark in the hopes of conveying the honesty of her words; he glanced at her and his lips twitched upwards in the slightest smile, telling her she’d succeeded.

 

    Once in her shop she led him to the back, where she had a pull out couch for the days she worked too late to want to risk going home alone. He’d told her he didn’t really have a place to stay at the moment, having not intended to stay in the city long before he discovered that what he’d searched for was in fact there, and she offered to let him stay at the shop, provided he didn’t interfere with her work of course. He’d agreed, but not before assuring her it would be very temporary and he would make his own arrangements as soon as possible.

 

    Mira was getting the impression that he was not very good at accepting help from others.

 

    In any case, once she made sure that he was settled and had her phone number just in case - after having to teach him how to use the phone, as it turned out the device was a horribly outdated form of communication compared to what he was used to (though he did apologise for using those exact words) - she bid him goodnight and left, making sure to lock up the shop behind her. On the drive home, she felt a slight tingling sensation on her forearm and brushed her fingers over her mark at a red light, to feel a quick rush of gratitude from him, making her smile.

 

 

******

 

 

    Once Mira was gone, Loki changed the suit he wore into something more comfortable for sleeping in with his seidr and sat down on the mattress provided, finding it more comfortable than expected at first glance, and went over the day in his mind. It felt odd, finding his search to be at an end; he really hadn’t expected to find his bonded so soon, with the way life was going for him lately. And he certainly hadn’t expected things to be so... awkward between them once they did meet. All the carefully planned speeches he’d entertained his restless mind with had completely deserted him, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

 

    At the very least, Mira seemed just as lost as him, so that was something. Still, this wouldn’t do; he had no idea how long it would be until someone came looking for him and now that he’d met his soulmate, he didn’t want to just let her go. And he couldn’t just bring her with him to Asgard; even if she wanted to come and Odin actually allowed it, the life that awaited him was not one he wanted to drag her into. He didn’t think she’d ever forgive him if he cost her the life she was making for herself in exchange for a life in prison.

 

    As he lay back with a tired sigh, his hand found its way to his chest where his mark was; he slipped his hand under his shirt to brush a finger over the letters, wondering if she could feel him like he did her. She had to; how else would she have known to comfort him when he was dangling off the edge of the Bifrost? He thought to earlier when she’d been trying to reassure him she didn’t care about his past relationships and decided to try something; he thought about how grateful he was for everything she’d done for him so far and tried to see if he could convey the feeling through the bond as she had.

 

    After a while he felt the warmth he by now associated with her and smiled to himself, pleased with the success. The mostly cursory research he’d done on Soulmarks never mentioned sharing emotions with your bonded to this extent, and he was curious about the possibilities; it was definitely worth exploring and he’d have to discuss it further with her. With that in mind, he settled down and eventually drifted off to sleep.

 

 

******

 

 

    She was fully booked for the day and was pretty much a constant flurry of motion, taking measurements, discussing designs and alterations when wanted or necessary, and making sure the clients left the shop happy. He tried to stay out of her way as she worked, attending to her customers with smiles both real and not, and he couldn’t help but to be impressed by both her manner and efficiency. When she could no longer ignore the need for a lunch break, she walked into the back so they could eat, apologising for not asking him if he wanted anything before then and needing to be reassured three times that he was fine before she believed him.

 

    He looked up from his food at some point to find her studying him rather intently and raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

 

    She blinked. “What?”

 

    “You were staring.”

 

    “Oh. Uhm, sorry, I was, uh... I was... measuring... you...” She finished sheepishly, face reddening. His expression turned confused and she buried her face in her hands in embarrassment. “I have an almost overwhelming urge to make something for you.”

 

    The laugh was past his lips before he could even think to stop it and he reached forward to pull her hands away from her still crimson face. “I’m flattered that you find me so interesting,” He said, unable to keep from teasing a bit.

 

    “I’m still in ‘work-mode’, okay? Leave me alone,” She laughed despite herself, trying to pull her hands back but he didn’t release them.

 

    “I most certainly will not; not if I might get something out of it,” He replied, making her laugh harder.

 

    “Well, you’re not getting anything for free; I don’t like you nearly that much yet!”

 

    He heaved an exaggerated sigh then shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

 

    He still hadn’t released her hands. She wasn’t sure he was fully aware of it. Or that his thumbs were slowly rubbing her knuckles.

 

    “Try again in a month,” She suggested with a half-teasing smile.

 

    He laughed then finally let go of her hands and sat back. “I just might. But in the meantime; what _would_ your services cost me?”

 

    She was about to reply when the bell rang out front and she let out a slight sigh instead. “I’ll have to get back to you on that,” She replied then stood and left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crap, my buffer's gone. Oh, well; time to actually write again. XD

    Darcy was just about over the moon when Mira told her she’d found her soulmate - or rather _he’d_ found _her_ \- when she’d called a few days later and immediately demanded all the details. She’d been hesitant about how much to reveal about him, but ultimately realised she really couldn’t keep that big a secret from her best friend and so she told her the basics, leaving out the whole ‘royalty from another world’ bit, and arranged for them to meet so she could tell her the rest after clearing it with Loki, it being _his_ story, after all. He hadn’t been too happy about it, but there wasn’t much he could do, and he did appreciate the fact that she even asked his permission in the first place.

 

    Darcy’s expression as she sat across from Mira in the latter’s living room wasn’t half as disbelieving as she’d expected. If anything; she looked... worried?

 

    “And you’re... absolutely sure he’s telling the truth?” The brunette asked far more seriously than Mira was used to hearing her.

 

    “Well, if he isn’t; he is _very_ convincing,” Mira replied with a shrug.

 

    Darcy let out a breath. “Well, shit.”

 

    “Alright; spill. What do you know?” Mira asked, crossing her arms at her chest.

 

    Darcy hesitated for a moment, not wanting to be the one to ruin her friend’s potential happiness but wanting to keep her safe. “I’m pretty sure I met this guy’s brother and he sent a giant robot thing to kill him and destroyed half a town in the process,” She finally said in a barely decipherable rush, waiting for Mira’s reaction with bated breath.

 

    Mira was silent for a moment as she processed Darcy’s words, her expression mostly blank. “He fucking _what??”_

 

 

******

 

 

    Loki felt Mira’s anger before she even walked into the room followed by who he assumed to be her friend Darcy, and it rather hurt more than he thought it might. She stopped a few feet away from him with her hands on her hips, and he kept his expression deliberately blank until he knew just what he was going to have to explain.

 

    “You know, when you told me you tried to ‘keep Thor busy’ while you dealt with a problem on Asgard; you might have mentioned that involved _destroying half a small town!”_ Mira snapped and he winced slightly.

 

    “Ah. Yes. _That.”_ He figured that would come up at some point; though he’d rather hoped to have more time. “It was, admittedly, not my best decision.”

 

    “Well, _gee;_ what gave it away?” Darcy chimed in sarcastically.

 

    He glared at her then turned back to Mira. “There was much on my mind at the time; and I’d like to say that I didn’t think it would turn out that badly, but the truth is I didn’t much care either way, as long as it kept Thor out of my way.”

 

    “So, what, you don’t care that people _died?”_ Mira half demanded.

 

    “It would hardly be the first time I’m responsible for deaths, Mira,” Loki replied a bit more sharply than he intended, “But yes, I do, in fact, care. I’m not fond of collateral damage; I just didn’t consider it at the time.”

 

    “How the hell do you just not consider that?”

 

    “Having a war to prevent has a way of distracting one, for starters,” He snapped, “Much less doing so while everyone around you is going out of their way to undermine and betray you; so I’m sorry if I didn’t think about a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere in a realm I had absolutely no interest in!”

 

    It took him a moment to realise what he’d said, and why she was looking at him as though he’d just slapped her.

 

    “No interest, huh?” She said barely above a whisper. “So if I hadn’t reached out to you... Did you have any intention of ever looking for me before?”

 

    Well, he could hardly take it back now. “... No; I didn’t.”

 

    She let out a sharp, humourless laugh. “Well, then, good thing I turned out to be useful, huh?” She asked, her voice cracking slightly. He didn’t reply and she stepped aside from the door. “Get out. Just... just go.”

 

    He sighed and nodded once, making his way past them and out the door without a word. The moment she heard the front door of the shop close, all the strength left Mira and she would have fallen to her knees had Darcy not been there to catch her. The brunette led her friend to the couch behind them and held her as she broke into sobs, rubbing her back soothingly.

 

    “Well, I feel like crap,” Darcy said after Mira had cried herself out, trying to shift the blame onto herself to give her an easier target.

 

    Mira shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Darce; you’re not the one who decided I wasn’t worth knowing.”

 

    Darcy winced sympathetically. “Hey, you are absolutely worth knowing, and he’s an idiot for ever thinking otherwise.” She wiped away Mira’s tears and gave her a napkin from her purse so she could blow her nose. “That said, and I really hope I don’t come to regret saying this, but maybe don’t make any final decisions about him just yet? He might not have been interested in meeting you before, but who’s to say he wouldn’t have changed his mind about it anyway, even if you hadn’t saved him from suicide.”

 

    Mira gave it some thought then laugh a bit. “You’re too damn diplomatic; you know that?”

 

 

******

 

 

    Loki didn’t really have a specific destination in mind; there wasn’t much of a point, not until he came up with an actual plan as to what he’d do next, and he was having trouble doing so. True, his original plan hadn’t gone much beyond just meeting Mira, but now that he had, he found he rather liked her, and the feeling had only grown after spending the past few days getting to know her better. And now he may well lose that.

 

    He knew their bond wasn’t broken, as his research pointed to that being a horribly painful, often even fatal experience and they were both still standing, but that didn’t mean she’d want to see him again much less be anywhere near him. He could understand her wanting him to leave, though; he hadn’t really given much thought about how it looked that he hadn’t particularly cared about her existence before she’d done something for him. Now that he did think about it, he could admit it was terribly selfish of him. He might have changed his mind even without recent events, but that didn’t change the fact of why he had.

 

    He was halfway across the block when he felt a faint urging from her to stop, though it felt reluctant at best. Still, it was better than nothing. Even if she decided against anything with him in the end; she seemed willing to at least give him another chance. And so he stopped, sending his understanding through the bond, and turned to find some form of lodging like he’d planned to before.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot it was Thursday again.
> 
> This is officially the last chapter I've written, so pardon any future delays. I swear I'm working on it.

    It was a week before Loki walked through the doors of Mira’s shop again, only to be met by Darcy standing behind the counter. Mira was nowhere to be seen, but he sensed she was there, and so assumed she was at the back somewhere. Darcy stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes and he stared back with utter disinterest, still not quite sure what to make of her; he knew they’d have to at least be civil to each other if things between him and Mira worked out, but until he knew where she stood, he wasn’t going to make much of an effort.

 

    “You’re still here,” He half asked.

 

    “I don’t make a habit of abandoning my friends when they’re having a crisis, so,” Darcy replied with a shrug.

 

    “I assume you’re the one that told Mira about the Destroyer, which means you’ve met Thor, otherwise you couldn’t have known of my personal involvement in that,” Loki concluded. It had to have been her; who else would have known?

 

    “Yeah, I’ve met Thor, and you’re damn right I told Mira you were involved in that mess!” Darcy huffed, crossing her arms under her breasts, “And before you judge me for that; let me ask you: Would _you_ leave your _best friend_ to deal with a potential psychopath without that important bit of information?”

 

    Loki frowned but nodded all the same. “I suppose that’s fair.”

 

    Darcy placed her forearms on the counter and leaned forward a bit. “Look, I don’t know you, and I try not to completely judge people I don’t know,” She began then narrowed her eyes at him again, “But I care about Mira _a lot,_ and I’ll do just about anything and take on anyone to keep her safe. Now, you’ve already made her cry; not exactly a point in your favour.” He looked down guiltily at that. “ _But,_ life is messy and complicated and it _sucks_ sometimes, and you might actually be good for each other otherwise you wouldn’t be soulmates, right? So, you get a second chance.”

 

    Loki looked mildly surprised at that. “Just like that?”

 

    “Just like that,” Darcy replied then pointed her thumb at the door to the back room, “Now go talk to her.”

 

    Loki nodded then began making his way to the door. Just before he reached it, she stepped in front of him and put her hand on his chest to halt him; he looked down at her hand then her face with a raised eyebrow.

 

    “By the way; if you hurt her again, I’ll make you wish you’d never been born,” She warned seriously.

 

    He breathed a laugh. “You’re a bit late for that, I’m afraid, but point taken.”

 

    Darcy glared at him for a moment longer then stepped aside to let him pass, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake.

 

 

******

 

 

    Mira was making adjustments to an ivory wedding dress with pale blue lace details when she heard the door open then shut, knowing exactly who it was that had entered the room. Even if she hadn’t reached out through the bond to call him here, she had sensed him before he even reached the shop. It seemed their connection was getting stronger, and she figured it was because they’d found each other. She didn’t turn to him yet, simply kept on working, sticking pins into the fabric before her where needed.

 

    “Your friend is very protective,” Loki said by way of greeting.

 

    Mira huffed a laugh. “You have no idea.”

 

    The silence stretched on for a long while; heavy and impossibly loud. She kept working and he watched, neither wanting to be the one to speak first, unsure what to even say for all the time spent on both their parts thinking and planning for this moment. Finally she stopped and turned to face him just as he’d made up his mind to speak.

 

    “Mira, I-” Loki began.

 

    “Why?” Mira said at the same time, cutting his words short. “What was so wrong that you didn’t even want to meet? You didn’t even know me! So, _why?”_

 

    “Because...” He sighed heavily. “Because I don’t like things being decided for me, and this,” He touched his fingertips over his mark, stinging with her anger and sadness, “Felt like having too important a choice taken from me. I felt like, barring an arranged political union, I should be the one to decide who I spend my life with; not some ancient magick that nobody really understands. I was curious about you at first, but as time went on and my choices became less, I decided that I didn’t care for the idea of a soulmate after all. It had nothing to do with you; just my own foolishness.”

 

    “Well, that just makes it worse. You didn’t even give it a chance!”

 

    “I’m sorry. Mira... I’m sorry.”

 

    His mark felt like it was burning by now with her distress filtering through the bond, just as hers was from his guilt and longing. She didn’t realise she’d started crying until he walked up to her and pulled her into his arms, and it was only when she looked up at him and brought her hands to his face that he noticed his own tears. It was all terribly confusing and neither quite knew what emotion belonged to whom anymore, so they simply let it all out, clinging to each other as though their lives depended on it.

 

    A while later there was a knock on the door then Darcy opened it and tossed a box of tissues in their general direction that he caught before closing it again, causing them to laugh, which in turn lifted the suddenly oppressive cloud that had overcome them. They sat down on the podium where the dress stood, holding each other’s hand with fingers entwined and Mira resting her head on Loki’s shoulder, just breathing. The bond felt calm now; pleasant, even.

 

    “I really hope it’s not going to be like that all the time,” Mira said after a while.

 

    “You and me both,” Loki replied. “I think that may have been the result of too many strong emotions and us not being used to each other, but I can’t know for certain.”

 

    “Well, I read that new bonds can be difficult to manage, and ours seems to be stronger than anything I’ve read, so that might be it.” She more felt than heard him hum in response and turned her head to look up at him. “We’re going to have to be more careful.”

 

    He huffed a laugh. “Clearly.”

 

    There was a knock on the door and Darcy poked her head in. “You about done with your meltdown? ’Cause there’s a lady here about a pick up and I can’t find where the hell you put it and she is _really_ not happy about that.”

 

    Mira laughed then pulled her hand out of Loki’s and stood. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT LIIIIIIVES!!! I am so sorry about the delay; I've had the worst block for far too many of my stories. I can't say it's gone yet, but at least I got this chapter done.

    “Soo...” Darcy began as they all sat in Mira’s apartment eating Chinese take-out late that night, “Are we all friends again?”

 

    “I was never your friend,” Loki replied flatly, earning an elbow to the ribs from Mira.

 

    “Yes; we’re all friends again. Mostly,” Mira replied.

 

    “I still stand by what I said,” Darcy warned Loki, pointing her chopsticks in his direction like a sword, and he rolled his eyes in response.

 

    “Guys, can we _please_ keep it civil? Darcy; cool it,” she turned to Loki, “And you; stop antagonising her.”

 

    They both mumbled reluctant apologies then all turned back to their food. After a while, Darcy jolted slightly in her chair as though she’d received an electric shock and looked at Mira. “Shit; how are we gonna tell your parents about all of this? They’re gonna freak out!”

 

    Mira winced. “Yeah, I know. Not really looking forward to that.”

 

    Loki looked incredulously at Mira. “Your parents do not know? Anything?”

 

    “Of course not! I told you what they’re like; if I’d told them about the Soulmark, I’d have never gotten any peace these last few years. And what if you hadn’t shown up, ever? I’d be dealing with them about it for the rest of my life for nothing.”

 

    “And now that I am here?” he asked somewhat tentatively.

 

    “Now... I’m still not telling them. Not yet. They’re not going to be happy about it, but I don’t want them to get all excited for nothing.”

 

    Loki winced a bit. “I deserve that.”

 

    “Yes, you do,” Mira agreed simply and he dropped his gaze, looking sheepish. She placed a hand on his leg and squeezed lightly, causing him to look back up at her. “You’re getting there; just... keep trying.”

 

    “I swear, I will spend the rest of my life making up for my mistake, whatever it takes,” Loki replied earnestly.

 

    “Shit, dude; you didn’t fuck up _that_ badly,” Darcy snorted, causing Mira to try and fail to supress a laugh.

 

    “Way to kill the moment, Lewis.” At Darcy’s responding grin, Mira rolled her eyes then turned back to Loki. “She’s not completely wrong, though. What you did _hurt_ ,” he lowered his gaze again but she took his face in her hands and brought it back up, “ _But..._ I can see - and feel - that you really are sorry, and I know I can forgive you; it’s just going to take a little time.”

 

    “I understand,” he replied softly then smirked faintly, “In the meantime, I have your permission to charm my way to your good graces, then?”

 

    Mira laughed, sitting back up straight. “Charm away!”

 

    Loki leaned closer to her, his smirk widening into a mischievous grin. “My dear, you’ve no idea what you have just agreed to...”

 

    They heard a faint shutter click and turned to see Darcy holding her phone up to them, having just snapped a picture. “God; it’s only been a few hours, and you guys are so adorable, it’s not fair,” she huffed, causing them to laugh.

 

****

 

    After Loki left, Mira and Darcy sat on the floor of Mira’s living room leaning against the couch, a half-full glass of wine in hand as they talked about nothing and everything. Mira had managed to coax more information about the events of New Mexico out of Darcy, more about what went on with Thor before the whole Destroyer business; not that it took much convincing, as Darcy was practically bursting with the need to tell _someone_ about her boss’ sort-of boyfriend from outer space. They had a good long laugh at the fact that Jane had hit him with her car twice, and Mira filed it away to tell Loki next time she saw him, figuring he’d find it amusing as well.

 

    As the conversation continued along the topic of relationships, Darcy turned to Mira with a serious expression on her face. “So, serious question, how would you feel about sharing your new boy toy? ’Cause real talk, I’d tap that so hard.”

 

    Mira choked on her wine, sputtering as Darcy patted her back sharply. “Darce! What the fuck!”

 

    “What? That is one fine piece of ass you’ve got there.”

 

    “You’re not banging my soulmate, you dirty ho!”

 

    “Aw, come on; not even once?”

 

    “No!”

 

    Darcy pouted and Mira glared at her. Moments later they burst out laughing, unable to keep up the pretence any longer.

 

    “Seriously, though,” Darcy said breathlessly once they could stop laughing, still holding her aching side, “You are one lucky bitch; that dude is gorgeous.”

 

    “I know right?” Mira agreed, dragging herself to sit upright using the couch, “I mean, I wouldn’t have cared if he wasn’t, but hot damn.”

 

    “You really think you can make it work? Like, you weren’t just saying that because you feel like you have to? Because you do that, like, _a lot,_ and that is really not good for you,” Darcy scolded, wagging her finger at her best friend.

 

    “I know, I _know!”_ Mira replied, ducking her head. “I’m working on it. And no, I wasn’t just saying that. I don’t know if it’ll work out, mark or no mark, but I do want to try. And honestly, I like him; he’s...” she let out a breath in a whoosh, “Well, he’s something.”

 

    Darcy snorted. “Yeah, I noticed.”

 

    “No, I mean,” Mira broke off into snickers, giving the other woman a light shove, “I _mean_ , he’s... something.”

 

    “Deep,” Darcy teased.

 

    “Fuck off; I’m drunk.”

 

    “No shit.”

 

    “He’s funny, alright? He makes me laugh. And he actually listens when I talk, and he’s smart, and just... He’s something.”

 

    Darcy stared at her for a long while then shook her head with a smile. “Damn, girl; you are _gone.”_

 

    Mira blushed and looked away. “Shut up. It just... feels right, you know? You don’t know. Actually, yes, you do.”

 

    “Rambling!” Darcy sang teasingly, poking Mira’s side.

 

    Mira smacked her hand away with a laugh. “It feels kinda like when we met. It just... _fits.”_

 

    “Bet that’s not the only thing that’ll fit,” Darcy snorted, earning a smack to the shoulder she laughed at. “Sorry, it was too good to pass up. But, yeah, I get what you mean.” She leaned over and wrapped an arm around Mira’s shoulders and pulled her in. “I’m really happy for you, babe. I know you could be happy without this guy, but I also know you wanted to find him and I’m glad you did. You deserve the best; and if he’s anything less than that, I’ll kick his ass and then we can get married like nature intended.”

 

    Mira broke into giggles and hugged Darcy back. “You’re the best, Darce,” she half murmured happily.

 

    “Duh.” That brought forth fresh laughter.


End file.
